Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 328 — page 3: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

} —— Oo — ee years before we meet him at Landers Ranch— and, upon a settlement of the estate, if was found agate agreed had lost go aoa os ro s) signing notes for Riende, and b Pidadicious speculations. Not more n five thousand dollars remain- ed, after settling up the estate; and the bulk of this young Robinson deposited in the Island City Ba in Galveston, and then started up the ” country, to inspect the same, with a view to es- tablishing a ranch. It so happened, that, upon his arrival at Aus- tin, he fortunately, when wandering through the town one evening, came to a point where Colonel Landers, who was somewhat under the influence of strong drink, was engaged in a wordy dispute with a couple of desperadoes. One of these ruffians jerked his revolver to shoot the colonel, when Robinson knocked up the weapon, the bullet flying over the old ranch- ero’s head, but so near as to clipa piece from the crown of his hat. This, of course, drew the anger of both villains upon Dick, and they opened fire upon him im- mediately. Our young friend, however, was lightning-like in motion, and a dead shot. e planted a bullet in the brain of each, but received, in return, a ball in his shoulder, which laid him up for weeks. Colonel ders had been sobered, at the first shot, though he was not quick enough to be of any assistance to Dick. 6 realized fully that the young stranger had saved his life, and he was filled with gratitude, which warmed into friendship of the purest and strongest type. The colonel interested some of the leading citizens of the capital in Dick, who took up his quarters at Stringer’s Hotel, on the avenue; and he received the very best of care, and medical attendance. In short, he was the lion of the hour. The celebrated Thompson brothers, Ben and Billy, were then in their teens, but they were celebrated from one end of Texas to the other; and Johnnie Stringer, the son of the proprietor of the hotel, was about their age. three ouths were on hand, and vied with each other in their attentions to the wounded stranger. The colonel was obliged to return to his ranch on the Leon; but he made his way back to Aus- tin, upon the recovery of Dick, and insisted that the latter should return with him, and take charge of Landers Ranch; making him, in everything but name, his adopted son. Thus it will be seen that the young man met Lola Landers under the most favorable circum- stances; and it could scarce have been otherwise, all things considered, that this youth and maiden ‘who seemed created for each other, should fall madly in love at their first meeting. However, it is an old adage, that *‘the course of true love never runs smooth,” and it proved so, in the case of Dick and Lola, Had it been otherwise, this story would never have been written. Indeed, although the future of Lola Landers and Daring Dick ap to be clear of all clouds, their love-trail to be bordered with bright flowers, and their = of roseate hue; yet they ‘were destined to er misery, beyond the very wildest inings, and that in more ways than one, as will be shown. And the old colonel, who dreamed not of any- thing to mar his happiness, was destined to tortured to the very soul—destined to owe his life, more than once, to oe Dick—and the latter, to prove the depth of his love for Lola, by superhuman deeds, and torturing privations; his very soul racked, and his strong frame agonized, through his unbending, undying love. At the commencement of our tale, all was a a running smoothly at Landers Ranch; ut there was one in its near vicinity, who was more deadly in purpose than a hungry panther, more merciless thier an Apache, when association and education are considered. A black cloud hangs over Landers Ranch—a serpent in the path of the beautiful Lola! nd neither she, nor the one she loved, is free from forebodings of dread danger to come; al- though neither of them, in this respect, has con- fided in the other, or in the colonel, and that because neither wished to cause the other alarm or apprehension, which they hope in their hearts may be unfounded. CHAPTER UL KING KENT’S CRIME. WE have mentioned that colonel Landers vis- ited much among his neighbors, but he made one exception. This was a ranchero, on the Rio Brazos, near the junction of the Rio Leon with the same. 'The name of thisman was Knowles, and he was known as Captain Knowles, he having been a seafaring man. Some, indeed many, believed that he had been one of the pirates of the Gulf. The captain was well to do, and it was thought had much gold buried; for he owned but a small number of cattle, and yet lived in grander, and more extensive style than even Colonel Landers. = was much ree = — and cards, -— when gaming was said to cheat in every possible manner. Colonel Landers had, at one time, been afrequent visitor at the Knowles Ranch; but, / King Kent. 3 ee —_——-—— —— ~~ — - —_—— during the last of these visits, he had been fleeced | he was thinking of the parting words of Lola, while playing cards with the captain, who had lied the old ranchero with brandy; and had roken off all connection with Knowles, their difficulty at their last meeting nearly ending in a duel—in fact, an encounter was only prevented by the prompt action of Daring Dick, who vowed that the captain should fight him, and to the death, if he met and killed Colonel Landers. As Dick was a dead shot, his threat served to revent a meeting, by cooling the anger of cnowles, who was at heart an arrant coward. Captain Knowles had a son, who was of the same age as Daring Dick, and a ‘“‘ chip of the old block.” This young man’s name was Kent Knowles, but he was universally known as ‘* King Kent,” from the fact that the ‘‘ king” was a favorite card with him, and that he had, at one time, won ten thousand dollars in Austin, by betting on the king against the ace. King Kent wasa typical Texan ay sole pened and lawless, and frequently ed of having killed five men before arriving at the age of twenty years. His boast was true, butin every instance, he had managed to get in the first shot before his opponent had time to cock a revolver; thus taking an advantage, which made him no more nor less than a murderer, and a cowardly one at that. He had, until the advent of Daring Dick, been a visitor at Landers Ranch, and had fallen as deeply in love with Lola Lan- ders as it was possible for one of his depraved nature to do. He had even gone so far as to declare his love, and had been considerately, but firmly, rejected. He had then flown into a most violent passion, and swore that no other man should wed her while he trod the earth. He went further, and vowed by all the fiends in Tophet that she should, some day not far dis- tant be his, whether she would or not. He had secreted himself in the timber of the Leon, near to the ranch of the colonel, where he knew Lola was in the habit of walking, and had confronted her; surprising, and terrifying her, by his de- claration and threats. The poor maiden, knowing the character of the miscreant kept the matter secret, fearing that her father would, in his fury, seek revenge, and be slain by the Knowleses. Under these circumstances, the reader may aoane the jealous rage and vengeful fury that ruled King Kent, at the time when Daring Dick arrived on the Leon, and was made at home by the colonel and his daughter. He swore and raved insanely, vowing he would have the life of the man, who, it was soon plain to be seen, was Lola’s favored suitor. King Kent was about the same hight and build as Dick, and fully as wiry and strong. But there all comparison ceased. His face was Phe te his eyes black and treacherous, his od long, black, and straight as that of an In- an. together he was a most ae ec me OW young man; a sharp-pointed black mustache an imperial, lending to him a Frenchy look. He dressed, as did Daring Dick, in border style; with buckskin breeches, top-boots, woolen shirt, and broad-brimmed black sombrero. He always rode a magnificent black horse, which was noted for both speed and endurance. . Dick had also a favorite equine but his steed was what is commonly known in Texas as a ‘* buckskin ;” the animal being strongly marked by having a jet-black mane and tail—the latter bbe ng sor the prairie grass as he rode, and both being abundant, wavy, and glossy. King Kent meant to keep his oath, when he swore that he would kill Daring Dick; although he had not the remotest idea of giving his rival a fairshow. He had heard of Dick’s havin shot two desperadoes, in Austin, in defense o the colonel, and this caused the miscreant to be Siting: Ueses ticle y times y in ambush, but was alwa unsuccessful in his most dastardly attempt. ” The day came, however, which was denttied to be one never to be forgotten by King Kent; and it is necessary for us to recount the occur- rence, as it has a strong bearing upon those con- nected with our —s At last, the cowardly Kent gained information from one of Colonel Landers’s Mexicans, in re- gard to the pro route of Dick, in search of some stray stock; and he resolved to lie in wait, and shoot his hated rival. This was some six months after the arrival of the latter at Landers Ranch. sarin ae had ree = pooner — early in the morning, an oO tow the Brazos, taking a northwest Siesebians It was some two hours before he reached the vicinity of the bottom-timber. Had he been able to pierce the dark shades ahead of him, he would have seen the only enemy he had on earth. There, crouched, in a thicket, teeth set, and black eyes glaring with a murderous light, was King Kent—rifle in hand, and at full cock! Unconscious of this, or of the presence of any human being, friend or foe, Dick urged his horse into the dark shades, toward the river, following a path that had been made by wild beasts. He was whistling joyously, his face radiant with happiness. As he rode into the dark shades, . EL LT ee and he smiled at the recollection of them. But the smile suddenly died away. It was banished by a sudden and unaccountable feeling. He seemed to feel the presence of some deadly foe, and he shot piercing glances in every direc- tion; but naught, except the slowly swaying festoons of moss overhead, was visible. As he drew near to the river-bank, however the sharp crack of a revolver rung and echoed. through the arches of the timber, and the form of the yo man remained for a single instant clutching the bridle-reins, and then fell, as if the bullet had pierced his brain. Daring Dick rolled from the bushes on the side of the cattle-path, and there lay limp and spparcnwy lifeless, his fair face the hue of eath. A moment after, the face of King Kent was revealed from the foliage of an adjacent thicket. The miscreant’s swarthy face, first exultant in expression, became denly ashen, and he trembled in every limb. His one object, re- venge, had evidently, until this moment, ruled him; but now he realized that he had cc mmitted a cowardly murder, which would condemn him to the rope, if detected, and he feared that scme one might have heard the report of his revolver —that some one might have observed Daring Dick on the plain. The vaqueros of the old ranchero might be in the vicinity, and although the Greasers were in his pay, they might betray him; err eo to bribe them heavily, might hold him in their power. This, however, troubled him not so much as the thought of the Vigilantes. If the crime was laid at his door, and proved, they would hang him like a dog. Daring Dick was a general favorite, and there were many who would avenge him. The miscreant was filled with the most abject terror. : He would have given worlds, had he not al- lowed his jealous fury to rule him to the extent of committing this deliberate murder, But it was now too late for regrets. The dastard deed was done. Not for an instant did King Kent think that the least breath of life remained in the form of his hated rival. He wasadead shot and had aimed at the forehead of Daring Dick. = would not do, however, to leave the body there. It would be plain proof inst him, as his ~ could be easily traced, in the soft, broken Se) He sprung, like a panther, from the thicket into the path, rushed to the body of his victim, and grasping an anklein each hand, with a strength born of desperation and terror, he dragged Daring Dick down the path, to the river-bank. He paused not for a moment, to examine his victim, and ascertain if life was ex- tinct; indeed, he feared to look again upon that blood-stained face. As it was, it was photo- graphed on his brain forever! esitating not for an instant, King Kent clutched the body, and hurled it over the high bank. It struck the waters, with a far-sound- ing splash, disappearing beneath the waters of the deep and on-rolling Brazos! At that very moment, as if proceeding in bit- ter condemnation and vengeful threatening, from the supposed corpse shot a wild, peculiar yell, echoing amid the natural domes and arches of the Brazos bottom, as if a score of fiends had roars the cry. ith a half-stifled shriek, his hands clinched until the nails penetrated the flesh, his craven heart in his throat, and he ing for breath, King Kent bounded from the spot, as though the very demons were in pursuit of him. : Well he knew that the yell had come from be- ond. What then? Had some one witnessed his cowardly deed? It was more than lense paee else why had the yell sounded at that particular moment? Never was a man in greater terror. Like a maniac, he tore through the thickets, y leaping high over piles of deadwood, until he reached his horse. Then, taking a bottle of brandy from his saddle-bags, he drank freely of the fiery liquor. The next moment, he sprung into his saddle when again that strange and unaccountable yell shot through the timber. Bion With a terrible oath, King Kent drove spurs, rowel deep; his horse, with a wild snort, sprun into the air, and then sped, crashing through the undergrowth, and up the river—for the dastard dared not venture down-stream, to- ward his home; and the home of his victim. _ CHAPTER IV. OUT OF THE DEPTHS. | AT the time that Daring Dick was approach- ing the timber of the Rio Brazos, on the south side of the stream, and King Kent was crouch- ed in his covert with murderous intent, the opposite side of the river was not without its occupant. ; Directly across the rolling waters from the ambush of the assassin—which, however, was not within view from the river—was a GOMIECHDOOKS: ECO a. “ : /